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MY advice to residents of Mountain View and Sunnyvale is to hang toughagainst commercial air traffic at Moffett Field.
I live about 10 miles from the San Jose airport, right on the borderof the Cambrian and Willow Glen districts, and over the past 20 years, noisefrom the airport has slowly but steadily increased. On some nights, dependingon weather conditions, I suppose, I am awakened over and over as stragglerplanes come in for landing between 11 and 11:30 p.m. While an 11 p.m. curfewsounds reasonable, it's really pretty late for people who need to or chooseto get up early. In addition, I can set my watch in the mornings by thewall-shaking, window-rattling rumble that begins promptly at 7 a.m., sevendays a week.
I am lucky -- at a 10-mile distance, airport noise is more of a nuisancethan a serious disruption most of the time. I wonder what it must be likefor people who live only 5 miles away or are directly under a flight path.
My point is that noise pollution continues to get worse, and I have noconfidence that curfews and promises will contain it. Yes, we need airportsand there are economic benefits to expanding air-freight commerce. But economicgrowth is nothing without quality of life, and in my opinion, noise pollutionis already jeopardizing the quality of life for many people in San Joseand other parts of Santa Clara County.
I presume that the Mercury News also does not support popular referendumson other complex issues. After reading your editorial, I wondered if itwas written in the United States.
I believe that the commercial use of Moffett Field is a matter whichthe local community should decide. Some of the benefits and much of the real costs of cargo jets flying into Moffett are local. This is why citiesin democracies do not, can not, build commercial airports in established neighborhoods. The real costs are too high for any business to support without sweetheart deals and disregard of impact to existing communities.
NASA and local leaders are well aware that the interests of the communityare the determining factor. If a meeting of minds produces alternativeswith real net benefits, I for one will vote for it. But I should hope tobe able to vote for it. I hope that the Mercury News will join us in supportinga democratic forum for any commercial use of Moffett Field.
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